Game apparatus.



H. W. COLLINS.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, I915.

Patented Now 14, 1916.

2 16' A wumtoz, Wmmzfi jzmwzzkam HERBERT w. COLLINS, 0E GRAND FORKS,BRITISH ooLUMBIAfoAnADA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14:, 1916.

Application filed July 24, 1915. Serial No. 41,802.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT WV. COLLINs, citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Grand Forks, in the Province of British Columbia andDominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in GameApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and particularly to a gamedevice. or apparatus which I have called Through the tubes, and whichembodies a playing surface having tubes or tunnels for the travel of aball or rolling object therethrough.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel construction andarrangement of tubes and obstacles, whereby games of an interestingcharacter, with various scoring points for difi'erent courses of theball, may be played.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means forsetting the ball or rolling object in motion and novel means for holdingthe board in a properly inclined position for the gravital travel of theball.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinfully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the board with thecover removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the boardshowing the ball chute and the board prop arranged in operativepositions. Fig. 3 is a view of the board in closed condition and withthe cover or lid applied. Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional plan view ofthe board.

The board comprises a shallow tray-like receptacle 1, preferably ofoblong rectangular form, comprising a base or bottom 2, side walls orflanges 3, end walls or flanges 1', and a flange cover or lid 5, saidcover or lid being of conventional construction. Hinged to the forwardend wall of the board is a strip 6, serving as a prop, which is adaptedto be swung outward and downward to extend beneath the board and holdthe said forward end of the board elevated, whereby the board may besupported in a forwardly and upwardly inclined position. This prop isadapted to be folded upward parallel with the forward end wall of theboard and to be held in such position by the adjacent end wall of thecover 5, when the device is in closed condition or out of use.

Arranged at the forward corners of the board are curved deflectors 7,against which the ball or other rolling object 8 is adapted to strikeand be deflected backward, for roll ing travel downwardly and rearwardlyover the playing surface of the'board. Disposed at points equidistantlybetween the transverse center of the board and the front and rear endsthereof are tubes or tunnels 9, arranged in pairs, and through which theball at times travels. The forward tubes or tunnels 9 are arranged onopposite sides of the center of the board and are inclined or diverge ina rearward direction, while the rear pair of tubes or tunnels arecorrespondingly arranged between the center and rear end of the boardand converge in a rearward direction. At points upon the playingsurface, or upon the said tubes or tunnels themselves, may be placedmarks or figures indieating their playing values, or the number ofpoints scored, such as five as indicated, when the ball rollstherethrough.

Arranged at the center of the board is a main tube or tunnel 10 ofirregular form; this tube or tunnel 10 has a contracted and preferablyflaring forward end or entrance 11, a relatively wider and flaring rearportion or entrance 12, subdivided into distinctive passages 13 and 14by a V-shaped deflector 15 and passages 13 and 14 having certain scoringvalues as conductors for the ball, such as those indicated, fifteenpoints for the entrance 11, five points for the passage 13 and tenpoints for the passage 14. In addition the tube or tunnel 10 is providedwith laterally extending wings 16 forming entrances which open into thebody of thetunnel from the front portion of the board and are arrangedat an oblique angle of inclination to the major axis or longitudinalcenter of the tunnel. These entrances 16 have certain playingvalues asball conductors under certain conditions, as twenty points, for example.

Extending upwardly from the playing surface of the board within a tunnelat a point of junction of the entrance 11 with the body of the tunnel isan obstacle in the form of pins or pegs 17, which are centrally disposedand divide the entrance to form passages 18 and 19 adjacent to therespective side inlets 16. If desired the surface of the board may becompleted by the provision of depressions or pockets 20 in the playingsurface at points on line between the passages 13 and 14.- and theforward 60 acquired with interest and amusement to ends of the reartubes or timnels 9, into which the ball traveling rearwardly from thetunnel is likely to seat. These recesses ma have like or differentscorin values as, for example, one may have a scoring value of fivepoints and the other of ten open at its top and forward end and provided at the latter-named point with a hinge member 23 suitably fastenedto the playing surface of the board, so that the chute when not in usemay be turned down parallel with the board and disposed in such positionwhile placing the ball in position for a shot. The ball being placed andheld in the pocket formed by the closed rear end of the chute, thelatter is then elevated to form, an in clined conductor for the gravitaltravel of the ball forwardly along the playing surfaceof the board, itbeing understood that by raising the chute to a greater or less degreethe ball may be shot or propelled with greater or less velocity. Theball in traveling forwardly up the inclined plane formed by the playingsurface is liable to strike the adjacent forward tunnel 9 and to bedeflected backwardly, or to strike the forward end wall 4: or one of thedeflectors 7 and to be deflected backwardly, the ball thence rollingrearwardly and downwardly over the inclined playing surface. As it rollsit is liable to take in one of the indicated courses, 7 by whlch one ormore plays may be made of use of the board will, it is thoughtbe readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be evident thatthe board may be employed for playing an arbitrary game which may becalled either Through the tubes, and simulate the travel of a vehiclethrough different courses of a system, or for playing a game or scoringpoints in accordance with any suitable style of play or understandingbetween the players." It will'also be evident that by its use greatskill in handling the ball may be the players, and also with value intraining the eyes and hands in controlling the ball in accordance withknown physical laws.

I claim l. A game apparatus comprising a shallow tray-like receptacle ofoblong rectangular form and providing a playing field with a surroundingmarginal wall, a tunnel at the center of the playing field having aforward entrance, a rear entrance divided into separate passages, andinclined side entrances opening toward the forward end of the playingfield, deflectors projecting up ward from the playing surface andseparating the first-named entrance of the tunnel into passages adjacentto'the respective sideentrances, front and rear pairs of tunnels ortubes arranged upon the playing surface in divergent relation betweenthe cen- .tral tunnel and o) )osite ends of the board and means upon theboard for projecting a ball across the surface thereof.

2. A game apparatus comprising a shallow tray-like receptacle of oblongrectangular form and providing a playing held with a surroundingmarginal wall, a tunnel at the center of the playing field having aforward entrance, a rear entrance divided into separate passages, andinclined side entrances opening toward the forward end of the playingfield, front and rear pairs of tunnels or tubes arranged upon theplaying surface in divergent relation between the central tunnel andopposite ends of the board, and means upon the board for projecting aball across the surface thereof.

3. A game apparatus comprisingv a shallow tray-like receptacle of oblongrectangular form and providing a playing field with a surroundingmarginal wall, deflectors at the forward corners of the playing field, atunnel at the center of the playing field having a forward entrahce, arear entrance divided into separate passages, and inclined sideentrances opening toward the forward end of the playing field,deflectors projecting upward from the playing surface and separating thefirst-named entrance of the tunnel into passages adjacent to therespective side entrances, front and rear pairs of tunnels or tubesarranged upon the playing surface in divergent relation between thecentral tunnel and opposite ends of the board, and means upon the boardfor projecting a ball across the surface thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT W. COLLINS. lVitnesses M. C. DAvIDsoN, JOHN BEECHEY.

.Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

